Hackensack Meridian Health

As Lia, Melissa and Talia did their bedside report, they noticed something was wrong. The Ocean University Medical Center nurses were checking on an infant when they saw signs of cyanosis — a bluish tint resulting from insufficient blood oxygen levels.

They immediately notified the nursery nurse and neonatologist, suspecting the baby could have choanal atresia, a rare condition in which the nasal passages are blocked. The condition can make breathing while feeding difficult and even life-threatening.

Their quick action helped ensure the baby received the necessary care.

“I always wanted to make a difference,” Lia says. “And when something doesn't seem right, it’s important to speak up, trust your instincts and advocate for your patients.”

Melissa agrees, adding that one of the most rewarding parts of her work is providing emotional support and physical encouragement to new mothers.

“My mother instilled values that safety and honesty were the two most important things,” she says. “These values have been deeply ingrained in me, and they are something I have emulated in instilling in my children.”

Talia finds the same meaning and fulfillment in her work. “I always wanted to work with children, especially in the NICU,” she says. “It was extra rewarding getting to work with the parents because I love to teach them. I also love to learn, so taking on maternity at OUMC was a no-brainer because I love maternal health and working so closely with moms in the NICU.”

In an amazing full circle moment, Talia noted that the infant they saved that day was the sibling of a patient she had cared for in a previous role. Walking into the room, she instantly bonded with the family, bringing them an immediate sense of reassurance and comfort.

As a mom of three and a registered dietitian who had spent six years pregnant, breastfeeding or caring for a newborn, Jenna decided that 2026 would be the year she stopped putting herself last. She set up a breast augmentation consultation with plastic surgeon Dr. Fares Samra, who sent her for a precautionary mammogram first.

As a health-conscious 38-year-old with no family history, Jenna wasn't worried. She went to the Women's Center at Riverview Medical Center. Her scan showed dense tissue and a cluster of tiny calcifications, which Dr. Harriet Borofsky, medical director of breast imaging at Riverview and Bayshore Medical Centers, wanted to investigate further. After a second mammogram and ultrasound, Jenna was told three areas needed to be biopsied.

Three days later, Dr. Samra called to tell her the augmentation was canceled. The test revealed that Jenna had cancer — ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Her world flipped upside down. “I thought I was going to throw up,” she says.

Dr. Borofsky called to confirm the diagnosis, which was Stage 0 and non-invasive. She told Jenna that treatments existed, and she was going to be okay.

“[She] had this way of making my world that was just shattered feel like it was coming back together,” Jenna says.

Jenna was referred to Dr. Roshani Patel, medical director for breast surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Dr. Patel went through every scan and option. Genetic testing had shown that Jenna had a genetic risk, which impacted her choice to have a double mastectomy, lowering the chances of developing breast cancer again.

“The way that Dr. Patel carried herself in that room changed the trajectory of my care. She 1,000 percent made me feel safe, comforted, healthy, happy,” Jenna says.

Just 16 days after diagnosis, Jenna was out of surgery. The cancer hadn't spread, and all of it was successfully removed during the procedure.

Every step of her care happened at HMH—and after Jenna's genetic testing at Jersey Shore, some of her relatives decided to get tested. Her mom and two cousins had the same gene.

The message she wants to share with others: “Please go get your mammogram. They truly save lives.”

Thank you to everyone who played a role in our Breast Cancer Awareness Month kickoff events yesterday, hosted at Hackensack University Medical Center and Palisades Medical Center! Team members across our hospitals wore pink, transformed our lobbies into exciting information hubs, shared key health and wellness tips, scheduled screenings and more. We are proud to celebrate the incredible patients, physicians, nurses and teams who fight this disease, this October and throughout the year 🩷

For decades, vaccines have been proven time and again to be the best protection against a number of illnesses. Our chief nurse executive and president of specialty hospitals and clinical services, Regina Foley, spoke about the importance of nurses and physicians, and a commitment to following the science.

Dr. Herman Morchel’s journey to finding his purpose at Hackensack University Medical Center wasn’t direct, but it means all the more for being the road less traveled.

Dr. Morchel grew up in Jersey City, where an early interest in electronics and computers led to receiving advanced degrees in engineering, then spending about 30 years in that field working on advanced military and government projects.

His career pivot didn’t begin until he experienced feelings of helplessness when witnessing a medical emergency. “I didn’t know what to do really, so I signed up for a CPR class. I just thought this is interesting stuff, which led to volunteer EMT work with the Nutley rescue squad.”

He found a new home at Hackensack University Medical Center after looking to provide a higher level of care, taking night classes and becoming a paramedic. Getting immunizations at Team Health, he met his wife, Gail, who encouraged him to take biology and organic chemistry classes. Soon, he was accepted to New Jersey Medical School.

In addition to the challenges of medical school, Dr. Morchel was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in his final year. This meant chemo in the morning, clinical rotations in the afternoon. After remission, he completed residency and rejoined Hackensack in 2007 — this time as an emergency medicine doctor and engineering/medical lead on a fleet of disaster response mobile medical units, even delivering a baby with them during Superstorm Sandy.

Today, Dr. Morchel’s impact on the hospital is widespread. What began as a resource for emergency medicine residents has grown into a sim lab serving many departments, with Dr. Morchel coordinating operations. Along with a team of emergency medicine physicians, he runs "boot camp" sessions for incoming residents, conference-based simulations and inSitu simulations. He is also an associate professor of emergency medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and a volunteer clinical professor of biomedical engineering at his alma mater.

Drawing on his engineering background, he repairs and maintains advanced patient simulators and continually designs and builds new training tools for ECMO cannulation in eCPR, neck lacerations for hockey skate injuries, severe burns, major hemorrhage and more.

What keeps him going is the “Hackensack family.” When recovering from lifesaving emergency surgery at Mountainside Medical Center, chemotherapy at John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center decades ago and more recent major heart surgery at Hackensack, he saw the HMH culture from the patient's side. Team members who didn't know who he was went out of their way for him. "That’s just who they are," he says. "We're a family. We watch out for each other."

Paul drove down the Garden State Parkway on a mission.

A call had come in earlier from Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Their operating room needed a specialized item from Hackensack University Medical Center.

Typically a courier would make the trip, but they were all busy. Knowing time was of the essence, Paul, a member of the materials management team, offered to do it himself.

The only issue he faced was the hot weather brought on by a heat wave, and he didn't let it stop him. He arrived promptly, allowing the surgery to begin on time without impacting patient care. He had saved the day.

For his quick action and decisiveness, Paul was recognized with Jersey Shore's Presidential Sea Star Award.

Asked about the honor, he's quick to credit his colleagues. “I was grateful to be recognized," he says. “But behind me there’s an entire team that’s propping me up and making me look good.

“If somebody is down, somebody steps up, picks up the baton and runs with it,” he continues.

It's a testament to the bond built between teams at hospitals across our network.

“They would have done the same for us,” Paul says. “There’s a common bond.”

Paul and the materials management team are committed to ensuring that all items, great and small, get where they need to go. It's an example of how care begins before patients even arrive.

“Every day challenges come up and challenges are resolved,” says Paul. “We do everything we can to meet the needs for patient recovery and good outcomes because that’s the end result everybody wants.”